Cabbage Beats Chemo For Cervical Cancer

Cabbage Beats Chemo For Cervical Cancer

Mainstream medicine’s cancer treatments of radiation and chemotherapy are far from a cure. In fact, they make cancer more deadly. But new research shows some common vegetables may be more effective in battling cancer.

Why? The answer has to do with cancer stem cells (CSCs) that chemo and radiation can’t touch.

In a study published in the journal Cancer, UCLA researchers showed that radiation actually makes breast cancer cells MORE malignant.[i] They found that radiation kills about half of the tumor cells treated.

Now researchers from South Dakota State University have found that a compound in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower may target those cancer stem cells. [ii] In fact, it may help prevent the recurrence and spread of some cancers.

The compound is called phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC). When the researchers added PEITC to a Petri dish with human cervical cancer stem cells about 75 percent of the stem cells died within 24 hours.

PEITC is found in cruciferous vegetables. Studies show it has anti-inflammatory powers. It’s also been shown to have chemopreventive activity against a range of cancers including colon, prostate, breast, cervical, ovarian, and pancreatic. It’s currently in clinical trials for lung cancer.

The South Dakota researchers found that PEITC slowed the formation of cervical cancer stem cells in a dose-dependent manner. The researchers also found that PEITC significantly reduced the proliferation of both cervical cancer cells and stem cells. In fact, it worked comparably to salinomycin, a chemo drug, but without the toxic side effects.

In addition, the effects of PEITC were significantly better in abrogating cervical cancer stem cell proliferation than paclitaxel, another toxic chemo drug.

In mice, the researchers also found that PEITC lowered the average number and size of tumors.

The researchers noted that “it is becoming increasingly evident that cancer treatment that fails to eliminate CSCs allows relapse of the tumor.”

They concluded that “importantly, PEITC is anti-proliferative in both [cervical] cancer cells and [cervical cancer stem cells], suggesting that it may contribute to eradication of cancer more efficiently than compounds targeting either CSCs or regular cancer cells alone.”

You don’t have to wait for a new drug to be developed to take advantage of PEITC. The researchers noted that the concentrations of PEITC they used in their study can be achieved through a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables. They particularly recommended land and watercress.

All good reasons to eat more of these healthy veggies. Cruciferous vegetables were originally named for the way their flowers seemed to form a cross or crucifix shape. But they are also known as “brassica” vegetables. That comes from their botanical name which translates to “cabbage.”

The most common cruciferous vegetables you’ll find in the supermarket include:

These vegetables have also been found to improve survival rates in ovarian cancer patients.[iii] They contain another cancer-protective compound called sulforaphane. This powerful compound improves the liver’s ability to detoxify carcinogens and other toxins.

Other foods found to target cancer stem cells include:

Curcumin, a compound found in the spice turmeric, can target brain cancer stem cells.[iv]

Margie King is a holistic health coach and graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. A Wharton M.B.A. and practicing corporate attorney for 20 years, Margie left the world of business to pursue her passion for all things nutritious. She now works with midlife women and busy professionals to improve their health, energy and happiness through individual and group coaching, as well as webinars, workshops and cooking classes. She is also a professional copywriter and prolific health and nutrition writer whose work appears as the National Nutrition Examiner and as Philadelphia Nutrition Examiner. To contact Margie, visit www.MargieKing.net.